Rebekah, Love
by WhiteGloves
Summary: "It's always been me! Not Finn, not Elijah, not Kol, me! I loved you through everything and you don't even care!"... And so the beginning of her journey. (Rebekah/Stefan, Stefan/Elena)
1. Chapter 1

Rebekah, Love

**_by: WhiteGloves_**

_"It's always been me! Not Finn, not Elijah, not Kol, me! I loved you through everything and you don't even care!"_

That emotional line really broke me.

This is my tribute for you, Love.

* * *

It was pitch black and cold—too cold.

Too cold for her liking but well— not like it matters since that was how most of them like it anyways. It wasn't that of a big deal.

Or so she thought as she walked slowly down the steep toward the wooden pavement of Wickery Bridge to what seemed to be an eternal march. Her eyes were glistening as she continued walking without really any idea where to go. She had no more strength to keep back the tears her dead body was shedding…

That was right. She has no more places to go. She was alone.

Something painful gripped her chest as the idea heightened on her very senses. Midnight had already struck some time ago and here she was walking like a lost body and waiting for somebody to just rip out that body's heart so that the pain would end. Oh, she would give anything to be daggered right now and stop it all… all these ridiculous emotions and illusions…

No. It wasn't loneliness that was making her cry tonight. It wasn't even the betrayal of her brother.

No… it was much more painful than that… it was self pity… and the idea of living an immortal life with really no one beside her… she thought how unfortunate her other brother Finn was for dying… But then how lucky he was too, for even though he was on the other side he wasn't alone… he had Sage beside him while here she was walking in the dead of the night with nothing except the voice of Klaus ringing on her ears… Klaus… her brother who had gladly spat on her face the fruit of her loyalty…

_"You are nothing!"_

**_Nothing…_**

A stubborn sob escaped her trembling lips and the flow of tears was unstoppable.

She didn't know when it happened—but the next thing she knew she was kneeling down the ground and was clutching on her heart and to her mouth, with voice breaking into silent howls of pain and despair like she was about to throw up.

_Just please… please let anyone make it stop… please make it stop…_

It was no good… her emotions were really messed up. It took her moments to brace herself. Her breathing was shallow and uncontrolled, her tears all over her face. _If someone would just make it stop…_

Like a death wish, a pair of black shoes appeared in front of her. Someone had finally noticed her.

Swallowing her cry with little strength she had left, she looked up and found _him_ looking down at her with no less than a look of ungratefulness and disgust. She opened her lips to say something but her power failed her.

"Taking a little stroll in the middle of the night?" he said crisply as he grabbed her throat and raised her up to her feet.

Rebekah's eyes reflected Damon Salvatore's face.

"What's this?" he said in that usual tone of mock sarcasm in his voice, "Blondie bitch bit more than she could chew?"

A tear slid down the side of Rebekah's eyes. Damon looked undaunted as he slowly but surely gripped her neck with one hand—ready to give her the final punishment she had been longing to receive.

Live… a voice whispered at the back of her mind.

Funny, she thought as she was slowly being rid of her breath, how her tears wouldn't stop sliding her eyes… just when she thought she was ready to give up… her hopes wouldn't stop wishing for life…

Just a little more, she wanted to say… just to prove that her life wasn't meaningless…

"You don't get to live another day," Damon whispered ominously, "You die on this bridge… where you killed _her_…"

Rebekah could feel the emitting anger seething out of Damon's eyes… he was doing this for her, that doppelganger… For a moment Rebekah suddenly wanted to burst out laughing. How sweet Elena Gilbert's life must've been… friends, family, love ones… all she ever wanted was with her already… that was probably why she was already willing to die on that night of the accident… because she already had a good life…

_And me?_

Damon's hand was crushing her throat… she knew it was all over… Damon was her last chance to escape this prisoned body… And she closed her eyes in surrender.

"Damon—Stop!"

Rebekah felt her feet touch down the ground again, followed by her own uncontrollable cough. A midst her cough she felt a struggle around her. Looking up despite her weakened body, she saw the familiar back of Stefan Salvatore standing in front of Damon who was looking angrily at his brother.

"What—you're gonna play the hero again? Stop it, Stefan!" he was raging as he tried to walk past the younger Salvatore. "There's no single motivation for you to save her! Now get out of my way!"

"No—you stop Damon! This is enough!" Stefan said back as he continued to stand on the way of his brother, "Leave her alone!"

Damon's eyes shone meaningfully.

"You know what?" he said looking rather vicious, "That's exactly what Elena told me when she saved the quarter back when I was killing him. What are you two with all the heroic attempts? Am I really the only one sane enough to think of 'who deserves to die' in this story?"

"Rebekah saved Elena," Stefan suddenly said rather heatedly, "she helped me give Elena the blood when we were stuck on that pastor's cage!"

"So what? And I'm supposed to forgive her?"

"No, but I owe her," Stefan insisted, still looking determined, "And if you still want to kill her you'll have to come by me before you do it!"

It was apparent that Damon was incensed at this as he grinded his teeth. Stefan wouldn't budge no matter how he looked so enraged though.

"Damon!"

Rebekah looked up and saw that Stefan was alone this time. Damon had left. She was _saved._

Stefan knelt down in front of her and touched her shoulder.

"You all right?" he asked gently that made Rebekah want to cry.

_Don't be nice to me…_ she thought as another tear warned to slid down her eyes.

"Do you realize how many people hate you already for saving their lives?" she said unkindly as she looked at him and still unwilling to leave her position down the ground. She looked straight into his eyes… to his penetrating, serene eyes… so very unlike his brother… Really… how can two brothers be so unlike? (Well, to hell with her own brothers!) But here was Stefan giving her a concerned look above everything she and her family has done to him… Stefan Salvatore…

But then, she shouldn't mistake his actions towards her… he was doing it because of _Elena _after all…

That was when her own eyes started to be tearful again.

"Oh, quit that, will you?" she sniffed as she wiped the tears spilling down her cheeks, "The last thing I need is one of you pitying me!"

Stefan merely pressed his lips together for a moment, and then said, "I don't pity you… I'm just here to help… and to say thank you…"

"I don't need your show of gratitude!" she said with a flicker on her eyes, and then it all came up—everything on her. She burst it all out to this person—this person who seemed to be emitting an aura of gentleness she had never seen to anyone…

"I don't need anyone! Not you—no one! Why would you care about me? My very own brother exchanged me for the lust of his life—his hybrids and his woman! Calling me 'nothing' after everything I did for him! After all the time I stayed by his side, defending him and only him even to my own family! Sticking out my neck and my very life for him! Crying only for him when I thought he was killed! Taking revenge to that doppelganger because of him! Turning my back to Elijah because of him! And for what? For _nothing!"_

She knew she didn't have to say all that, but Stefan's eyes were making her… it was his fault that she can continue with her outburst…all her pain…

"My own mother wanted to be rid of us… you two brothers wanting to be rid of us too! Nobody really cares for me and you know what? I don't care either! I had enough! I'm so sick of this kind of life—for running! For killing… I had enough of it all, Stefan…"

She closed her eyes and howled with her voice croaking and her body shaking. Stefan's expression of sympathy could be seen on his face as he watched her cry her heart out like a lost kid in the middle of nowhere.

"Rebekah…" he started,

"It just doesn't seem fair…" she whispered as she looked up at him and clinging to those serene eyes that seemed to be willing to listen, "My whole life I've been longing to be loved, and cruelly it always seemed to be too out of reach…"

She gulped and lowered her eyes on the ground.

"Leave me alone…" she whispered that made him surprise, "leave me alone like everyone does…"

Stefan hesitated for awhile, and then leaned to take a peek on her face.

"Hey…listen to me," he whispered gently, "you'll be okay…"

Rebekah stubbornly shook her head and tried to pry her shoulders away from his touch but Stefan didn't budge.

"Rebekah," he continued quietly, "I know what you're going through… but sometimes you just have to be strong enough to deal with it… even if you're alone…no—listen to me! You are a strong lady, Rebekah, I know you are."

Rebekah shot Stefan a look who continued looking at her. There was this sudden warmth that enveloped her empty heart…

"You are strong," he said in a voice so convincing he didn't have to compel anyone, "You wouldn't last this long if you aren't strong… you became strong for your brother and now you have to be strong for yourself. You have to give importance to yourself, Rebekah… because that's the only thing you can hold on to…"

Rebekah continued gazing up to him hopefully and Stefan didn't shrink back away. Moments after that, he stood up and nodded at her. And then he started walking away. The warmth was extinguished from her heart and all that was left was a hole.

"Stefan…" she called in a bare whisper. She was so overwhelmed by his presence that the idea of being alone in this middle of the night struck her again. "H-help me…"

Stefan stopped. Rebekah looked at him, her expression tearful and begging.

Asking for help, asking for another chance was all that was left to her.

And Stefan looked back.

* * *

"We are still investigating the death of the rest of the Council members," said Sheriff Forbes late that morning as she stood on the Salvatore living room together with Stefan who was standing by the pedestal and Damon who was drinking. She was talking to Damon specifically who ignored her and continued drinking on his glass.

"Does that signify anything to me?" he asked indifferently with raised eyebrows. Sheriff Forbes gave him a knowing look to which he replied, "What? Your daughter is safe now because of me. You're back to your position like how it was supposed to be. God, don't I get to get any thank you from anyone of you who's supposed to be providing us the back up plans? How else do you suppose can we be saved?"

Sheriff Forbes gave Damon a sharp look. Stefan closed his eyes.

"That, itself, is a confession, Damon…" she said.

Damon was about to retort back when the door opened and in came Elena.

"What's going on?" she asked the moment she saw Damon and the sheriff under the heated conversation.

"Oh good, you're here," Damon said in a mocking tone as he stared at Elena who raised her eyebrows back at him, "you should busy yourself talking to your _oh-so-believer-of-second-chances-and –hero-to-all-vampires and-quarter backs _alike boyfriend before anything else, Elena."

"What?" Elena shot Stefan a confused look who pressed his lips closed and crossed his arms, "Stefan, what's—?"

Rebekah appeared suddenly beside Stefan's shoulder. Elena blinked as she stared at the Original, and then turned to Stefan.

"What's she doing here?"

The next moment, Elena and Stefan were alone in his room and talking about the matter at hand.

"I don't think it's good for her to roam around in her state," Stefan was saying to her as she paced around the room, "Klaus has left her, and we don't know where Elijah is. She's alone Elena, and she asked for my help…"

Elena turned to Stefan with an undecided look on her eyes. Stefan saw it and immediately came to her side to touch her cheek.

"Hey…" he whispered gently as they stared at each other, "I know she's the reason you had the accident… but she's also the reason why you're here with me… I owe her…"

"She owes me my life," Elena suddenly insisted, surprising both of them at her tone, "I-I'm sorry," she continued with a little breath, "It's the emotion thing…"

Stefan continued looking at her.

"Elena, if you're uncomfortable with this…" he started to mutter. Elena stared at him and then licked her lips.

"I know you, Stefan," she said after a few moments, "I know you just want to help… and if I'm in her condition I think I'd really break down too… but I can't help feeling worried…"

"Worried?"

Elena stared at Stefan's face and couldn't help wondering how deep his kindness was… and even extending a hand to a known enemy… can she be as selfless as he was?

"Okay," she whispered all of a sudden, "I'm okay with it…"

Stefan smiled at her and they shared a kiss.

* * *

Rebekah was sitting on a window pain and watching the sun stream across the room with nothing but a bottle of wine beside her. She then heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Looking past her shoulder, she saw Elena and Stefan come down the stairs.

"Where's Damon?" he asked inquiringly while the ex-doppelganger-now-vampire gave her a fixed look.

"Basement," she said as she stood up and face them, "something about preparing the cellar for _me._"

Elena pressed a smile that made Rebekah raise her eyebrows. Stefan looked at Elena and then back at Rebekah before shaking his head, turning his body all of a sudden and saying, "I'll see about that."

That left Rebekah and Elena alone.

The girls continued looking at each other. It was such an awkward moment.

"Rebekah," Elena said quite uncertainly, "I heard about Klaus…"

"Oh, don't bother," Rebekah snatched a glass of wine from the side table, "I know better than to talk about him to you. And sorry about the bridge, if that is still a big deal."

Elena looked like she was about to frown, but then decided against it.

"Well, I was just saying," she continued, "do you plan to stay _here_?"

"Do you mean _here_ in Mystic Falls or _here_ in the Salvatores?"

"Here," Elena said firmly and nodded at the house they were in. Rebekah's eyes flickered.

"Stefan promised he'd help me," she said and drank a bourbon, "I think staying here beside him is my best option."

Elena frowned this time. This made Rebekah smile.

"What is it? Jealous, are you? Don't worry, I do not think he's that easy to sway."

"Then does that mean you plan to _sway_ him?"

The two girls locked gazes again. Then it was Rebekah who lowered her gaze, and then looked up again.

"I do not know." She admitted quite frankly, "but he's the only person I can trust right now and I believe in him…"

Elena's face couldn't be described—anxiety, fear, and confusion all mixed together—

"He wouldn't." she managed to say as she gave him an extreme unpleasant look.

"Of course," Rebekah admitted again as she turned around and faced the window, "I know that."

Elena continued frowning and then finally decided to go down the cellar too, leaving Rebekah staring at her reflection on the window glass.

Illusion or not, Rebekah knew, Stefan was her best option too…

* * *

***To BeContinued***

**_Thanks for Reading!_**


	2. Chapter 2

Rebekah, Love

CHAPTER 2

**_by: WhiteGloves_**

_(recent events change everything, doesn't it?)_

**_Stefan's POV_**

* * *

"I don't want her here!" Elena exclaimed as she appeared behind Stefan minutes later looking stricken and irritated. Stefan and Damon were both down the cellar talking when she came in. "She annoys me— she provokes me to do things… Please, Stefan I know I told you I was okay with it—but just throw her out!"

"I second the motion," Damon said, pointing a finger at Stefan while holding a wine, "You heard your lady, bro., don't always play the righteous for everyone's sake. And might I remind you again that you can't keep two girls with you—that'll break my record— if you want to keep one, let one go."

Stefan gave his brother a look, and then turned to Elena helplessly.

"I can't do that…"

Elena stared at Stefan while Damon whistled.

"That was a fast choice bro," he said after a moment, his eyes full of sarcasm as he looked at Stefan. Then turning to Elena, he continued, "Beat it, sweetie, my baby bro's not picking you."

Stefan sighed exasperatedly and shook his head.

"It's not like that!" he exclaimed, "I told you I made a promise. It's not like I can let her waltz out of this house after I invited her in! She's a lost vampire! She cannot just wander around with the way she is, she'll have the whole neighborhood after her! And come on—we have enough vampire hunters around."

Damon stood up and swayed with his glass a little raise.

"First of, Stef, it's _your promise._ Keep your not so old brother out of it for once. Second of all if she starts attacking the neighborhood then let her at it, what's her fangs for? And _thirdly, _am I really supposed to keep up with your saintly promises every time you make one?" Damon snapped, now looking pissed, "I'm no saint; I'm a death god with fangs for crying out loud."

Elena secretly smiled at that which did something to improve Stefan's mood.

"Look, she's my guest and you have to keep up with it, the two of you." He said firmly.

Elena gave Stefan a look of disbelief before rolling her eyes and turning away. Stefan watched her go and then shot Damon a furtive look.

"Please, Damon," he finally said to his _unpredictable_ brother, "just let me handle this."

Damon eyed him and then tipped his empty glass over.

"Sure," he answered with his assuring cynical smirk, "handle _her_ with care. But just for precaution, the next time she sent another car hovering on the nearest bridge; be sure it's not anyone on our side."

Stefan raised his head slowly into a nod as Damon went pass him with a little brush on the shoulder. Shaking his head, Stefan went to the living room to talk to Elena, only to find her already gone.

"She's gone home after taking one more look at my face," Rebekah answered as she sat on the couch in front of the fire place, "Didn't even bother to say good bye, I see."

"Yeah, well…" Stefan shrugged his shoulders and slip his hands deep on his pants pockets, "she doesn't really feel comfortable around you…"

Rebekah eyed him and a lingering question was shot on his direction.

"I wasn't talking about myself. I was saying she didn't even bother to say good bye to you."

Stefan paused a little, and then shook his head again. Rebekah's eyes narrowed.

"Aren't you ever going to change that hobby of shaking that head of yours?"

"Well, since I am lost for words there's really nothing I can do but shake my head, right? What do you want me to do nod and shake at the same time?"

"Sarcasm," Rebekah noted as she rolled her eyes, "You're pretty good at that nowadays. At least you're not as boring as I thought."

"A compliment," Stefan looked down on his fingers as he sat on the side of the smaller couch. "… I'm sorry about you and Klaus… "

"Oh, please! Of all the deranged brothers!" Rebekah turned to him with a cold look, "I fled from him so that I can't ever talk about him. Do me some favor, Stefan, I'd really rather not talk about that. If we're gonna talk about siblings I'd tell you you've got more than I ever had."

"You have Elijah."

"Had," she corrected, "for one who just left me behind, I can hardly call that family. Be that as it may, nothing will have ever changed for me anyway."

"Rebekah, I want to help you—"

"—It doesn't necessarily mean you've got to stick your neck out for me," she cut him in coolly, "I don't expect you to. Just give me a little place to shelter myself and keep me from my abominable brother then I shall be happy. It won't last—me staying here. Nothing lasts forever… and a word from the wise, my dear gentle Salvatore… bear in mind that _nothing lasts forever._"

She eyed him meaningfully and somehow Stefan was able to see a little meaning from her words.

_I've got people I love and people I want to protect,_ Stefan thought as if assuring himself as he gazed at Rebekah as if he had never seen her that way, _I was saved from the kind of life she has now because I have my brother, I have my friends… I have Elena… _

And that was when he thought that he was really the one who can help her… because he has everything she has been longing for. She doesn't need hate, she needs love. She doesn't need enemies, she needs friends… these factors alone may not only change a person's fate, but lots others.

"Stefan,"

Stefan was pulled away from his thoughts as he heard her voice.

"Yes?"

"You're still such a naïve guy."

"Excuse me?"

Rebekah leaned her back on the couch, put one hand on her chin and crossed her legs before her. Then gave Stefan her fullest attention. "For a person to love purely like you… I've seen your love for your brother… and your love for Elena… it's all epic, even for a vampire as young as you."

"You make it sound like I'm five years old." Stefan pressed his lips together.

"1 1/2 year to be exact," she didn't look like she was kidding, "You're another unique example for a vampire aside from Finn. I don't know if you call that lunacy or what, but I can't help feeling… let me find the word… _awestruck_ by your capabilities to stand firm to what you believe… however, I cannot help but wonder… how strong you can really be if all that you have crumble before you."

Stefan's attention was caught by the tone of her voice. He looked up at her and saw her blue eyes staring fixedly at him. He couldn't help but feel intimidated.

"And by that you mean...?" he started softly. Rebekah pressed a small smile before staring back at the blazing fire.

"You and your brother's dealing with Katherine is but a dust on my untouched history." She started quietly, "you, Elena and Damon's history have just started… and bloody hell I can't imagine what sort of story you'll have to tell."

"C'mon," Stefan inclined his head on his side, "stop beating around the bush."

Rebekah licked her lips.

"With eternal life come eternal choices, eternal pain and suffering… eternal changes. Let me hear it, Stefan for I'm no better... do you really think Elena will love you forever?"

Stefan stared at the Original with expressive eyes.

"What's that got to do with me helping you?"

Rebekah smiled silently.

"It's the other way around. Stop being a dupe and answer."

"Of course she does."

"And what if she stops loving you then? What of you?"

Stefan sat straight.

"That won't…"

"Play with me and just answer."

Stefan gave her a long look and he was seeing her again in a new light. A girl. A vampire. Emotional issues. Pessimistic. Wise, like all women were supposed to because of her _age._

"I don't know," he answered finally and truthfully, "I thought I've been there, but having just finally got her back I guess it's kinda hard to imagine, it's hard to _feel_ that… I mean, she's the real reason why I came here in Mystic Falls. She's my reason for risking everything I have. Losing her is like losing half of me—no, all of me."

Rebekah's eyes glinted in the light as she watched Stefan's eyes sparkle earnestly.

"Passionate," she said after a little pause, "very passionate. Yet, immature. I hope you never change, Stefan. Your good heart makes you who you are… I hope it doesn't disappear together with Elena."

At that, Stefan really frowned as if the lady was giving him some sort of warning and he didn't like it. _What does she know?_

"I'm not sure what's on your mind," Stefan said quietly, "but I don't think Elena and I will have a change of heart…"

"That's what I also thought," Rebekah replied, "about the guy I truly loved that is. We already have promises and such… and then before I know it he was stabbing me in the back."

She eyed Stefan again.

"_History repeats itself as they say. _What makes you think you and Elena are not vulnerable to that?"

"Stop it," Stefan said sounding agitated as stood up with a clang as his shoe accidentally hit the side table containing the wines. The two vampires looked at one another.

"Oh, did I upset you?" Rebekah asked coolly as she drank from her glass, "I thought I was just sharing my years of knowledge to my old dear gentle Salvatore…"

"Rebekah," Stefan said with a hint of seriousness on his voice. The Original gave him a look and then she also stood up. She looked suddenly impatient to Stefan as she stood in front of him.

"I know I can count on you, Stefan. I know you can help me because among all our kind, you still have the heart of a person who knows how to love..."

"Why are you saying this?" Stefan said with a frown, "I don't get you..."

Rebekah simply gazed at him like he was something interesting to see.

"I know you've always been playing fair and square with compassion underneath it, Stefan… but you know what, it'll be really unfair if you escaped our eternal life without much suffering and hatred and anger within you. Being the ripper? That's hardly called suffering... I want to see your gentle face crumble even more... I want to see you helpless!"

"—Rebekah!"

"—I want to see you get hurt by the people you love and you protect!" her voice suddenly raised its pitch, "I want to see you get betrayed like what happened to me! Because I know deep inside I was once like you—who believed that love can conquer everything! I want to see you suffer like me!"

"WHY?" was all Stefan could say as he clasped her shoulders firmly, "Why do you wanna see me suffer?"

A silent tear fell down Rebekah's right cheek and that was when Stefan noticed that her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Because I want to know what you will do once that happens to you…" she answered in earnest, "I want to know what good old Stefan Salvatore will do once his heart is betrayed by the people that he loves… what will happen to this old Stefan once he stops calling this place his home… I can't help but wish for that, because I want to know how strong your resolve is… and if you can't figure that out, then you cannot help me…"

Stefan felt like there was a lump on his throat as he gently freed her from his grasps. Before he knew it, he was breathing heavily like he has been running a marathon all day. He wanted to tell her she was sick, that she was saying too much because that will never happen to him. It won't.

_Won't it?_ Was the question that suddenly burned on his mind as he gazed at her. He suddenly felt weak beside her. Compare to her, he was nothing… who was he kidding when he said he wanted to help her?

"Go to the guest room," he breathed finally as he tried to avoid her eyes, "you're just tired… go and rest."

Rebekah blinked a little and then brushed the tears were splashing down from her eyes before walking away. Stefan watched her go, and unlike the light that he saw when he first helped her—the one that felt positive he can save her— everything around Rebekah suddenly turned dark, if not ominous. And a worried feeling suddenly developed inside the younger Salvatore's heart.

_Rebekah's true nature once not weak has finally started to arise. Who am I to help her?_

Suddenly, his phone message rang. Stefan clicked it and saw Klaus' message. After reading the message, the younger Salvatore stiffened visibly and then he looked up the staircase where Rebekah disappeared to.

_Everything will change._

* * *

_**-TBC-**_

_**Thanks for Reading!**_


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